I found you (NatsuXLisanna)(WARNING:contains spoilers and lemons)
by Trisk Sanmaho
Summary: Natsu's golden girl is back, however they lost two years of their story, time to make up for it! (PS: I love Lucy, but I think that if she and Natsu end up together we'll lose a beautiful romance six years in the making!) (PPS: This is my first story on this site so feedback is greatly appreciated, Thank You!) I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL, IT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIRO MASHIMA.
1. Chapter I: That first night back

Natsu groaned weakly as he pressed ice to the result of his latest challenge against Gildarts. It hurt now but Natsu didn't mind, it had been a fun end to a miraculous day; they had saved Magnolia and the Exceed, they had escaped the now peaceful Edolas, Gajeel had adopted Pantherlily as his own Exceed, and of course; She was back... As he sat there peacefully with his chin on the table and his eyes closed, he smelled Her approaching; that gorgeous scent that had been gone for two years. It wafted among the other mundane smells like a sweet song in the bitter silence. He could smell cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. As the scent grew stronger he opened his eyes, terrified for a moment that the events of the past few hours had been naught but a good dream, but they weren't.

"Hey there..." He croaked weakly, tearing up a little at the sight of Her.

There she sat, chin on the table, Her big blue eyes barely an inch away from his own slanted onyx ones, the tips of their noses almost brushing together.

Lisanna Strauss said nothing, only smiled, closed her eyes and tilted her head forward to rest against Natsu's.

The short peace was shattered by the expected "She llllllllikes you!" from Happy.

"Yes I do, and what about it?" Asked Lisanna imperiously, smirking at the hovering blue cat. Happy stuck out his tongue and instinctively landed on top of Natsu's pink mop of hair.

"Ouch!" Yelped the Salamander, "Happy! That's where Gildarts bonked me!"

Lisanna laughed, "Where didn't he 'bonk' you?"

Natsu scowled at the silver haired beauty across from him, "Easy for you to say, you've never fought him!"

"Well I think I have the sense not to." She smiled softly at him and yawned, "Anyways, after all this celebrating I'm knackered, I'm off to bed."

She started to get up when Natsu grabbed her wrist, "Wait, we need to go somewhere first, before sunset." He got up and pulled her from the table, he looked to the bar and saw Mirajane nod happily to him. With that sign of approval, he led Lisanna out of the Guild and through the sun washed streets of Magnolia with her small, delicate hand clenched in his own large, calloused one.

"Wait, where's Happy?" Asked Lisanna, stopping suddenly as she noticed the Exceed's absence.

"I told him to go home with Lucy, I'd like some time just for us." Natsu grinned before catching himself and splurting out, "I mean... If-if you're okay with that I mean, I don't..." Lisanna kissed him softly to shut him up.

"It's been two years Natsu... I want all the 'us' time we can get."

The Dragon Slayer grinned, "Great!" He knelt down with his back to her, "Hop on, and close your eyes till we get there."

Lisanna climbed onto his back and giggled, clenching her eyes shut tight with her face buried in Igneel's thick scarf.

•••

"Turn this way a bit more... Ok... You can look!"

Lisanna opened her eyes and was almost blinded by the sight of the sun climbing down behind the mountains past the wide fields. Her mouth opened to form a perfect o, tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized where Natsu had brought her. She slowly turned to see the thatched hut that had been their home for weeks on end as they cared for Happy's egg as 'husband and wife'

Lisanna's eyes lowered and she saw Natsu kneeling next to an upright stone with the Fairy Tail emblem carved above the words

IN MEMORY OF LISANNA STRAUSS

X768-X782

Natsu smiled sadly as he crouched over her headstone and scorched off the second year, "Not yet... Not for a long time..."

"Oh, Natsu... " Lisanna dropped to her knees and sobbed into her hands, Natsu quickly ran over, picked her up in his strong arms, and carried her into the hut.

"It's ok Lisa, you're with me. I'll never let you go again... Never." The last word was filled with rage, rage reserved for whosoever dared THINK of hurting his love.

Lisanna kept sobbing as Natsu set her down on the ground, "I'm sorry Natsu... I'm so so sorry I put you through this..."

Natsu took her face softly in his calloused hands and wiped off her tears. "Lisa, look at me... I love you. You have nothing to apologize for, you never asked for this and now you're back, I could never ask for more..."

Then they kissed, they kissed until the sun had gone and only an orange glow in the west remained. In the pitch dark, Natsu waved his hand and a strong golden glow flowed through the air. The source flitted around his fingers like a dancer through the trees of a forest, but the fire was strange. It was brighter than any fire had any rights to be, and although it was warm, it did not burn, not even when Lisanna touched it with her bare fingers. The most peculiar thing however, was its color; it seemed almost entirely pure, golden yellow, but for the heart, which was a shockingly bright shade of vermillion.

"What is this Natsu? Why is this fire so..." Lisanna grasped for the perfect word but none felt appropriate.

Natsu smiled as he looked at the bright little flame in his fingers, "Macao told me once that fire has many forms, depending on who wields it... Like when I fought Erigor during the Lullaby incident, I was bathed in what Happy called the Flames of Anger, and when Jellal helped me fight Zero in Nirvana, he gave me some golden fire called the Flames of Guilt, showing the regret in his heart. Based on all that, I can only assume that the mage's emotions can change fire's properties."

Lisanna smiled, it made sense, the flames in Natsu's hand bore all the benefits of fire; warmth, comfort, and light, all the while neglecting its destructive aspects.

"So what do you call this?" Asked Lisanna, her head rested against Natsu's chest, still watching his fiery hand.

"The cheesiest thing I can!" He grinned, "The Flames of Love."

As he said this, Lisanna laughed and the fire grew and grew, enveloping both their forms in flickering flame.

In the fire, Natsu lay Lisanna down beneath him and started kissing and suckling her throat while removing her top and bra. Lisanna moaned and took his vest off of him, as she did, the Dragon Slayer started to move his head down to her voluptuous bust. Lisanna squeaked and moaned under his onslaught of kisses and suckles. Both of Natsu's hands were rested on his lover's hips and one of them deftly unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, he then removed those so that Lisanna lay naked on the straw floor but for her panties and Natsu's benevolent fire. Lisanna stroked Natsu's pink hair as the Pyrovore started moving down her waist away from her hickey infested bosom and toward her covered treasure.

"Oh... Natsu... Go on!... Yes! Oh God, yes!"

Hearing his partner so excited revved up Natsu even more so that he hastily pulled down Lisanna's wet panties and sniffed the shaved slit inside. The smell of her arousal made him smile as he licked Lisanna's womanhood with long slow strokes. His thumbs then came up to search for her swollen clitoris: when they found it, his mouth started to suckle the sensitive button and Lisanna shuddered as spasms of pleasure shot through her body. Natsu reveled in his lovers' bliss, feeling immense joy with all of her moans and sighs.

"Natsu! I'm close!"

Just as those words escaped her lips, Natsu lifted up his head. Shocked, Lisanna looked up and whined wistfully

"Natsu! Why d'you stop? That was so good..."

He grinned evilly, "I know, right?"

Lisanna scowled at him, "That's so mean!"

"You'll thank me soon sweetheart, trust me." Said the fire Mage, going back down on her mound.

And so he continued for what seemed like hours; and every time Lisanna seemed close to release, he would stop. After a particularly close stop, the shapeshifter felt ready to cry.

"Natsu... Please, let me..."

He seemed to finally concede, for this time he did not stop, he used his skilled tongue to drive Lisanna over the edge and the fire blazed up like a wildfire. In that moment, she blessed Natsu a thousand times over, for the tidal wave of pleasure she felt then made her arch her back as far as she could and scream in bliss. Even after Natsu sat up and wiped her juices from his lips with the back of his forearm, she spasmed uncontrollably as her nerves struggled to process all the pleasure she felt from Natsu's skillful tongue play.

Natsu lay on his back next to her and sighed deeply, "Well, I think you enjoyed that. Sleep well Lisa, I love you."

He started to close his eyes, satisfied by his job when he felt a weight on top of him and pressure on his wrists. Natsu Dragneel opened his eyes to see Lisanna straddling him with pure lust in her eyes.

"Oh no you don't, you fire eating bastard!" She whispered in his ear, "We've only just started..."

Natsu was shocked for a few seconds, but he then grinned and stood up, carrying his nude lover in a kind of reverse piggyback. As he pressed her against the side of hut, he kissed her lips and throat greedily. Lisanna sighed heavily and reached down between their hot bodies to undo Natsu's pants, releasing his sizable member and letting it press against her soaked, virgin womanhood.

Natsu stopped ravenously kissing her for a moment, knowing it would be the first time for both of them, "Lisanna, I love you so much but are you completely sure you want to do this? I would really understand if..."

Lisanna gave him a weak slap, "You think you can tease me the way you did and then just leave me hanging? I want this Dragneel, I've wanted this for two years."

With those words, she used her hands to move the tip of Natsu's 'dragon' in alignment with her moist slit. Natsu looked in her eyes and kissed her with more passion than ever before. When they broke the kiss, Natsu simply said, "On three?" To which Lisanna responded;

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three!"

Natsu thrust forward with his hips and broke through Lisanna's maidenhead. She cried sharply with pain as she struggled to accommodate Natsu's girth. The slayer held her close and asked in a panicky voice, "Are you ok Lisa? I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hurt you."

Lisanna laughed the pain away and kisses her nervous boyfriend on the forehead, "I knew this would hurt Natsu, but I was ready."

She started to grind her hips against his and moaned almost exactly at the same time as her rose haired lover as his penis rubbed her inner walls. Natsu's confidence swelled up inside him and he turned around to lay his shape-changing lover and started thrusting into her. He started to suckle and kiss her throat, his hands groping her large, firm breasts as he came closer and closer to release and she reached her peak.

"Oh Natsu! Don't stop! NATSU!"

The sound of his name being screamed out amid the lustful debauchery made their golden crimson fire flare brighter and hotter, filling the hut with joyously flickering blades of light. The display seemed akin to some ancient heathen ritual where union was celebrated by hedonistic dancers, joyful without shame, or sin, or society's self established 'decency'. The Fire Dragon Slayer collapsed onto his partner as they peaked simultaneously. Natsu propped himself up to look in Her eyes,

"Found you..." He said weakly before kissing her, both falling into a deep sleep, holding one another.

On that night, in that secluded straw hovel; love was as it should be, a union, a blend of souls so close that nothing-not gods, nor men-could separate them. He was her and she was him; and all identity, all secrecy, melted into the dark nothingness fleeing from that furious fire...


	2. Chapter II: When I come home

**Author's note: Hey everyone! Before I start this I'd like to deeply thank all the people who Favorited, Followed, and Reviewed chapter 1 and encouraged me to write this second chapter. It truly meant a lot and I feel honored to write about what is (in my opinion) the best pairing in any Anime for you guys. (sorry NaLu fans)**

**Also I'd like to say that since I want to edit the NaLi story a bit, I'll have two or three flashback chapters like this one where I edit scenes from the original story a teeny bit. If you don't like them, let me know and I'll focus on the main story!**

**Merci beaucoup!**

_Two years ago_

A pink haired youth and a blue cat sat away from each other at the foot of a great tree, both scowling angrily. A third figure

"Fighting again, Natsu?"

Lisanna stood tall and proud, clad in the cocky assurance that fit her so well. Natsu looked up at her quizzically, "Oh, Lisanna. You're back?"

Happy pouted and blurted out "Natsu ate all my fish!"

"Well that's not good Natsu! The dad is supposed to take care of his family." Lisanna laughed, hiding the heartache she felt.

"Oh shut up Lisanna, that fantasy is from forever ago," Natsu said sharply, "stop bringing it up at every possible occasion." He looked away, scowling.

Lisanna was shocked by the spite in her old friend's voice and her smile dissolved. She looked down and fought back inexplicable tears...

_Damn it Lisanna, stop taking this so seriously, you'll only embarrass yourself_

"Alright well... I'll see you later." She turned around and started to plod away miserably.

Happy noticed Lisanna's expression as she left and was shortly puzzled until realization hit him like a brick.

_All these years... Lisanna..._

Without a second thought, Happy turned around and smacked Natsu furiously. Five years, how could this idiot be so dense for five years?

"Happy, what the hell was that about?" Exclaimed the Fire Wizard angrily

"You are truly the greatest idiot in the world!" Happy growled at him, trembling in anger; at Natsu, at himself, at anyone who knew about this.

Natsu stared at his cat in shock, he had never seen Happy this angry before, "This can't be about the fish Happy, what happened?"

The cat pointed furiously at Lisanna's retreating figure, "That girl deserves so much better than you, and yet you still treat her like that?"

The Dragon Slayer stared blankly at his ivory haired friend, "So what? I may have been a bit harsh, but she's a big girl, she can take it. Plus I'm sick of that joke, it gets on my nerves after all this time."

"Why do you think she keeps saying that, you clueless flame headed idiot?"

Natsu thought back to the first time Lisanna had mentioned marrying him; four years ago, while waiting for Happy's egg to hatch in that big straw hut.

_"Can I be your wife?... You're kind and cute and you love kids... I wish this moment could last forever..."_

Then it was clear, Natsu blinked twice, his jaw drooped open, and his eyes opened. A single tear rolled from Natsu's left eye as he reflected over the time he had wasted, time he could have spent with her.

•••

Lisanna got to the park exit and turned left before exiting. She leaned against the trunk of a Sakura tree in a secluded spot, hugged her knees tight, and let the tears pour from her eyes. She had reached her limit, she didn't know what to do about Natsu.

"He doesn't realize... Chances are he never will..."

Lisanna saw that moment clear as day, five years ago, when she had started having deep feelings for Natsu as he told her about the fire dragon Igneel, his long-lost foster father, under her red umbrella; showing his immense hope and determination. Ever since then she had wished for Natsu to see her the way she saw him, but whenever she made a pass at him he ignored it or just laughed it off.

"None of that explains why I cry over something like this so much though..."

Natsu's dismissal of her weighed on Lisanna's heart like a chunk of lead, making her all the more vulnerable to tears whenever she failed to tell him how she felt about him. At this point she felt she might cry by looking at him, it hurt so much seeing all the things she loved about him; his immutable happiness, his headstrong confidence, his eternal loyalty, his inexorable kindness... Lisanna kept thinking like this, weighing his value against the pain he unintentionally caused her. She pressed her face into her knees and wept.

But before she could wipe her eyes and leave the park, she heard the faint rustle of clothes in front of her and felt a rough finger gently wipe away her tears. Lisanna looked up to see Natsu smiling tearfully.

"How long?" Asked the dragon slayer.

"Five years..." she murmured, "Since that rainy day..."

Natsu pulled Lisanna to her feet and took her face in his hands, "five years huh?" Their lips brushed lightly, "I owe you..."

Then he kissed her and all was right in the world. The two lovers locked in each other's embrace as Happy hovered a respectable distance away, crying for joy.

"About damn time!"

Natsu and Lisanna jumped suddenly as Mirajane and Elfman walked up to them; the former grinning madly, the latter scowling disapprovingly. The lovebirds leapt away from each other, blushing furiously.

Lisanna managed to stammer out; "Mira, big brother Elf, what are you doing here?"

Mira scoffed, "Came to watch the show, what else?" She laughed before rounding on Natsu, "You take care of her Salamander, I think you're great together, but if you hurt her in any way..." The she-devil's eyes told the rest.

"Lisanna, I won't stand in the way, but if Natsu tries anything out of place, I will show him a man's honor!" Growled Elfman, with obvious mistrust.

The couple both blushed and laughed, embarrassed at having been caught.

"All jokes aside, Lisanna's coming with us, I picked up an S-class mission and Team Strauss is my support." Said Mira smugly.

Natsu's brow furrowed, "Not fair! Let me come too!"

Elfman immediately turned on him, refusing to let Natsu spend any more time with his baby sister than was absolutely necessary, "No! It's a man's duty to protect his family!"

Natsu was about to respond that it was his own duty to protect Lisanna when she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. When I come home from the mission, we'll talk about us."

Natsu immediately deflated, "Okay... Just swear you'll be careful, ok?"

"I swear." She giggled, and sealed the oath with a small kiss before running to join her siblings on that fateful mission.

Sometimes over the next two years Natsu would wake up in a cold sweat, seeing Lisanna's broken body and hearing her words...

_When I come home_


	3. Chapter III: Regrets and Lost Time

**Once again, thanks for all the love. I wasn't sure about uploading my stories at first but it's well worth it! Thank you so much everyone! And also a special shout-out to my personal friend who convinced me to publish these stories in the first place; if you read this, you know who you are ;)**

**Anyway, let's see what Elfman and the other members of Fairy Tail think of the events of Chapter 1.**

_Present day; X784_

For the first time in two years Natsu slept a deep dreamless sleep, undaunted by painful memories or wistful dreams. He slept soundly for hours, holding Lisanna tight in his arms; their nude forms lain together on the hut's scratchy floor. They woke only when they heard the roar of what could have been either an army of Gorians or an angry dragon. The pair jumped up and stared at the source of the unearthly sound; Elfman hadn't been this furious since Monsieur Sol had made him relive his worst memories. In his beast form, he grabbed Natsu and bodily flung him from the hut. Natsu caught himself midair and flipped over so that he would land on his feet, realizing that Elfman may possibly have appreciated it if they had discussed Natsu's relationship with his little sister BEFORE Natsu went to bed with her.

"Crap, Elfman calm down, I'm so sorry I didn't talk to you about—" a charging Elfman charging him cut the dragon slayer short. Natsu had to jump aside to dodge a furious swipe from Elfman's claws, he was getting ready to roast the shape-shifter but thought that might only make things worse. It was then that Natsu noticed Lisanna outside the hut, staring at her transformed brother with a look of utter fear in her eyes and tears rolling down her cheeks. Natsu's inattention cost him a swat back toward her, where he stood up and turned to Lisanna. Then it hit him, he knew he had to get Elfman back to his normal state or it would have dire consequences. As Elfman started to rush him again, Natsu stood his ground and waited till his opponent was a foot away before bringing a fiery fist down hard onto the top of his head, driving Elfman into the ground. He then pinned Elfman down and whispered urgently

"Elfman, get back to normal, look at Lisanna!"

He looked and saw his little sister's tears, slowly morphing back into his usual self. Elfman forgot about his anger at Natsu and approached Lisanna slowly; but she cringed as he got closer to her.

"I'm sorry Elf…" she sobbed, "But that form…"

Elfman understood, she had been woken by the raging face of the monster that had almost killed her two years previously, it was only normal for her to be shocked.

And I came here to protect her… some big brother I am…

Speechless, Elfman reached out to hug his little sister, oblivious to her nudity. He held her tight as Natsu started gathering up their clothes and dressing himself. Lisanna broke the hug and started to put on her own clothes, still shaking in shock.

Natsu took advantage of this to pull Elfman aside, "Listen, I just wanted to apologize for last night, I know I should have talked to you before doing anything."

The larger man shook his head slowly, "No, I was in the wrong, she loves you Natsu. I remember her telling me when she was eight; it was bound to lead here. I was just surprised it happened so fast."

Natsu grinned uncomfortably, "Yeah... In my defense, I never intended to go all the way."

"Please spare me the details Natsu, I don't want to know anymore than I have to about my sister's sex life." He smiled sadly, "Anyways... I shouldn't judge… It was my fault in the first place. I almost kil..."

Natsu punched him, not hard, just enough to stop his speech. "Don't you DARE say that." Said Natsu solemnly, "Don't you dare put that on yourself. It wasn't your fault, you were taken over by that thing."

"Maybe... But 'that thing' is now my greatest source of power." Elfman looked back at Lisanna, who was now dressed and walking towards them, her usual cheery smile adorning her pretty face.

"That means that you've conquered your demons," Said Natsu, Elfman looked at him hopefully, "and I'm willing to bet Lisanna agrees with me."

Just as the Dragon Slayer finished talking, Lisanna reached them and hugged her brother tight.

"I'm sorry I scared you,Elf-Niichan."

Elfman grinned and hugged her so hard she almost felt her spine give way, "I should be saying that to you, my dear little sister!"

Natsu grinned, and together the reconciled trio made their way to the Guild Hall.

•••

About ten minutes before reaching Fairy Tail, Elfman ran off, mumbling about some 'important mission' he had to get done.

"Whenever he says that," whispered Natsu into his lover's ear, "it basically means he's trying to get into Evergreen's good books."

Lisanna stared at her fading brother in shock, "No!" She exclaimed, "Since when have the Thunder God Tribe members HAD good books? I thought they were all just fighting for Laxus to like them."

"A lot has changed, Laxus got booted from the Guild , and now the Raijinshū are a lot more social."

Lisanna lapsed into a thoughtful silence; what else had happened since she'd gone? Her mind turned to Edolas, where Nervous Natsu Dragion had always been making doe eyes at Lucy Ashley. Lisanna was not by any means a jealous person, but she couldn't help but wonder if the opposite was true here, like Gray and Juvia's different states. If it was so she hoped Lucy wouldn't be hurt about Lisanna's relationship with Natsu, or worse ; attempt to sabotage it. All these thoughts eventually led to one question,

"Natsu, did you and Lucy ever have a relationship?" She asked nervously.

Natsu was silent for a few moments before saying "No... I considered it at one point, but I finally settled that it would only complicate things. Plus Lucy feels more like a little sister or a protégée to me."

The Ivory haired girl smiled, it was sweet how much her boyfriend cared for his friends, and she trusted him implicitly... yet something told her Lucy had a different view. The happy couple reached the guild and walked in hand in hand, their comrades looked and grinned at this.

Macao and Wakaba whistled, and the latter yelled out, "Had a good night Natsu?"

Natsu responded only by smiling and extending his middle finger graciously towards the smoker, who responded by trying to hit Natsu with a column of smoke. The Dragon Mage dodged, kissed Lisanna swiftly on the cheek, and charged his middle-aged guild mates. It didn't take long for Gray to strip down and jump in, which led to the eventual participation of Gajeel, Pantherlily, Jet, Droy, Cana, Alzack, and a good deal of others. Happy, who had returned to the guild earlier that day, was circling the brawl and giving a mocking commentary of the battle. Lisanna sighed and sat at the bar, looking around for her sister. Mirajane was nowhere in sight, but Lisanna did catch the eye of a certain blonde Mage.

/I haven't properly talked to her yet,/ thought Lucy musingly, /maybe I should.../

Lucy was trying very hard to keep her jealousy in check, after all she had no right to feel that way, she had already told herself that she and Natsu would not work as a couple... Nevertheless...

She didn't have long to think on that, Lisanna had seen her and was waving her over happily, inviting her to join her at the bar while Natsu and half the other Guild members settled their differences.

"Hey! How are you doing?" Asked Lisanna jovially.

"Ok I guess, I'm assuming you had a good evening." Lucy laughed uncomfortably, trying to break through her custard-thick awkwardness.

Lisanna blushed and fidgeted with her hair, "Yeah... It was something else..." She caught herself and quickly blurted out, "So I was thinking we should get to know each other better, seeing as I never actually knew you before I left."

Lucy felt that wasn't her only reason, after all, Lisanna had never known Juvia, Gajeel, Wendy, or Carla beforehand. Maybe Lucy WAS being a bit paranoid, but all she could think was of all the time she had spent alone with Natsu, and how that might bother Lisanna.

"Sure," said Lucy, "I'm up for it. Everyone seems to know you so well, I feel at a disadvantage." She stood up. She needed to tell Lisanna something that had been nagging her for the past day, and the main room of the Guild felt too exposed. "Wanna go up the bell tower?"

Lisanna followed Lucy's example, "Lead the way!"

•••

The top of Fairy Tail's new bell tower was by far Lucy's favorite haunt. Up here, one could smell the Sea as Magnolia and the surrounding country sprawled away distantly.

Lisanna watched the view in shock, mouth slightly agape, "Wow..." She gasped, "Definitely worth the climb!"

Lucy sat down and stared at Kardia Cathedral silently, enjoying the fresh air. Lisanna sat beside her, legs dangling over the edge. Neither girl spoke for a while, neither of them knew how to broach their uncomfortable situation.

"Lisanna... What was the relationship between Natsu Dragion and the other me in Edolas?" Lucy asked curiously, the emotion in Lucy Ashley's voice the very first time she saw Natsu had made Earth-Lucy wonder about that.

Lisanna took a while to answer, but then said, "They weren't together... But Natsu was very much in love with her."

Lucy smiled slightly, "Did you think it was the inverse here?"

Lisanna was silent again; she liked Lucy, something about her made it impossible not to, and Lisanna wanted them to get along, so she had to be very careful with her words.

"Is it?"

"In some ways, yes..." Said Lucy, starting to tear up, "I'd told myself that dating a teammate would only complicate things, but that door was always there, it was always a possibility. At some times it was like a pleasant dream, but-and I know how awful this will be of me to say-since you came back and Natsu fell in love with you all over again, it's like that door is closed... And I can only ask myself now... What if? What if I had..."

The Celestial Mage stopped talking due to a huge lump in her throat, and tears started flowing out. Lucy fully expected the other girl to slap her, yell at her, tell her off, or just straight up throw her from the tower to keep Natsu to herself. She did not expect pale arms wrapping around her and hugging her close.

Lucy was shocked, "What..."

"I thought so..." said Lisanna softly, "I'm sorry..."

"Why?"

"Because this was so sudden, I came back to life and assumed everything could just go back to the way it was two years ago." Lisanna let go of Lucy and looked down mournfully, "I never considered that I might cause anyone harm, but between you and Elfman I've caused more pain than I could ever have thought."

Lucy felt a deep affection for the girl next to her, she was possibly the kindest and most considerate person Lucy had ever met.

"Don't say that, Elfman was only doing his job as a big brother, and if I never did anything about Natsu, that's my own fault. You kept your feelings for him hidden for five years, and then you were taken away just after having told him, you don't have to apologize for anything."

Lisanna looked up, "How did you know all that?"

The other girl smiled, "After a mission near Hargeon, we went to a bar and I found out Natsu gets very chatty when he's tipsy."

Lisanna laughed, "Oh my... I'm looking forward to seeing that, he was too young to drink before." She thought for a second before saying, "Is that really what he talked about when he got drunk?"

Lucy nodded, "You were never out of his mind for a second, I think he always regretted the time he didn't spend with you while you were here."

Lisanna said nothing; she only looked out over the city and smiled. She then turned to Lucy, "So are you ok with Natsu and I being together?"

"Of course," Lucy answered, "I'll always miss that possibility, but Natsu can't just wait for me to make up my mind. Plus he loves you more than life itself…"

The new friends smiled at each other and resumed their sigil over the gorgeous stone-paved streets of Magnolia.


	4. Chapter IV: Mission Prep

**Hello again everybody, I'm so glad to be done with exams because I can now spend a wee bit more time writing these chapters! I am sorry about that last chapter being mostly dialogue and sappy scenes, but I wanted to knock down the presumption that Lucy and Lisanna had to be bitchy towards one another (as mentioned by some of the reviewers). By the way, did you know that Microsoft Word autocorrects "Lisanna" to "Lasagna"? Because I didn't and I spent a solid ten minutes reediting this entire story, so if you read something about how much Natsu loves Lasagna, it's not what you think. **

**Also I am SO, SO, SO sorry about how short this chapter is, and how long it took, but it's kind of hard writing a five paragraph literary analysis of Edgar Allan Poe, and a fan fiction at the same time! :P **

By the time Lucy and Lisanna came back down the stairs from the bell tower, Master Makarov had stepped in to contain the destruction being caused by the brawling Guildmates. Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray were the only ones who had not yet fallen prey to the Master's giant hands. They had formed a sort of de facto alliance against the old man, to limited results. Makarov sat on top of Macao's unconscious back, his right hand holding a tankard of bear from which he periodically sipped, and his left grabbing, slamming, and tossing the trio of troublemakers from left to right. The 'fight' ended when the master flicked Gajeel into Gray and backhanded Natsu so hard that he crashed through a pillar and into the wall at the bottom of the staircase. Happy flew over Natsu's head with a referee's cap and a whistle; he blew a shrill note into the Dragon Slayer's ear and exclaimed, "YOOOOU'RE OUT!"

Lisanna hurried down the steps and sat down against the wall and gently cradled Natsu's head in her lap, "Will you ever learn?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Probably not…" he groaned. Turning his head to face her, he pouted like a little kid, "I have booboos…"

Lisanna grinned and softly kissed his forehead, Lucy watched with a smile.

_Well, they're happy, I can't ask for any more._

Lisanna helped Natsu limp to the bar next to Wendy, who was eating her breakfast with Carla. Lisanna looked at the little Dragon Slayer curiously, it felt so odd to see such a familiar face on such a different body. The Wendy that Lisanna had gotten to know in Edolas was older for some reason, and therefore was much taller and full breasted. Despite all these differences, they had very similar personalities; they were kind and compassionate, eager to make friends and more than willing to help people at their own risk. Wendy noticed Lisanna staring at her and suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"Um… Lisanna? Are you alright?"

The Ivory haired girl snapped out of her reverie and blushed, "Oh, yes. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About what?" asked the little girl curiously

"About how you and the other Wendy in Edolas look so different, but are so similar."

"That's true," said Carla, "During the battle in Edolas, the other Wendy carried me to safety and Happy said that was a lot like something you'd do."

Wendy smiled widely, "Well that makes me happy, and I wish I could have gotten to know her better."

Lisanna smiled back when Master Makarov walked up to the bar for a refill, he looked at Lisanna and his expression melted into a serene smile.

"I don't think anything could make me as happy as seeing you back where you belong, little one." He caught himself and returned to a stern face, "But you have missed two years of work, I want you back doing jobs as soon as you can!"

Lisanna giggled at the Master's stern face and Natsu looked up, "That's not fair Gramps! She only just got back yesterday!"

"He's right though." said Lisanna, "Plus, I want to go on a job as soon as I possibly can."

"Okay then!" the Fire Mage leapt to his feet, somehow over his brutal thrashing already, "TO THE REQUEST BOARD!"

He grabbed Lisanna's wrist and bolted to the other end of the room, his girlfriend screaming in his wake. Makarov chuckled and hopped up onto the barstool just as Mirajane brought him a pint of his favorite beer, she leaned on the counter and looked at her little sister with a smile. Lisanna was bickering with Natsu over which job to pick; it was a very simple scene, one that seemed to happen daily, but it made her happier than she had ever been.

"So you approve of this?" asked Makarov, the thick white foam from his beer mingling with his bushy moustache.

"Of course I do, I couldn't dream of a better match." She looked again at the happy couple, this time with a hint of nostalgia. "I think her death hurt Natsu just as much as it hurt Elfman and myself."

Makarov contemplated his pint as if it had just posed him an insolvable riddle, "If not more… To you and Elfman, Lisanna was always your responsibility. You loved her more than anyone possibly could, but to Natsu… She transcended friendship; she was his savior. If she had never befriended him the way she did, we would have a much darker and cynical person on our hands. Before Lisanna, Natsu did nothing but fight, he saw Fairy Tail as an arena. When she approached him as a friend, he saw the Guild as more as a home."

Mirajane contemplated the master's speech. If it was true, Lisanna's death must have been worse for Natsu than she had previously thought.

"We got it!" Mira looked up to see Natsu brandishing a job sheet with a huge grin, Lisanna hanging onto his other arm and Happy circling overhead singing a naughty song about the couple, "We decided that since Lisanna hasn't used innate magic in a long time, we'd go with a simple retrieval mission."

The sheet read; _Help me! I am a merchant from Onibas, a Gorian in the forest attacked me and I had to abandon my wares to escape. I will pay three-quarters of their worth for a full recovery; 30,000 Jewels!_

"Alright then!" Mirajane smiled and jotted it down in the request book, "Just be careful Lisanna, stay close to Natsu in case anything happens."

"Oh it should be fine," answered the younger sister, "I can practice my takeover techniques before going."

The couple bid Mirajane farewell and started off for Natsu's house to get ready, since Lisanna had no possessions, she'd have to buy new clothes in Onibas. Upon reaching the shabby house, Lisanna lay down in Natsu's hammock while he started throwing clothes, books, preserved food, cooking utensils, etc… Meanwhile, Happy had a self-imposed identity crisis over which fish to bring on his Odyssey.

"Jeez Natsu, you actually live like this?" said Lisanna, reproachfully eyeing the messy room.

"Well… yeah." Natsu replied in a confused tone, "Why? What's wrong with it?"

Lisanna giggled and shook her head, "You really are a pig Dragneel!"

Natsu pushed up his nose into a pig nose and oinked defiantly, to which Lisanna rolled her eyes. A few minutes later they were all packed up and ready to go, the eager trio burst out the door and straight into a hard steel breastplate. Outside Natsu's house was the tall and imposing Erza Scarlett; behind her, Gray Fullbuster leaned against a rock with his arms crossed (unaware of a certain anonymous Water Mage spying on him from a nearby tree), and Lucy, Wendy, and Carla stood nearby with embarrassed looks.

Lucy turned to Lisanna and said in a hopeless voice, "I'm sorry… We tried to stop them…" to which Wendy and her white Exceed nodded adamantly.

"So what's the mission?" asked Erza imperiously, and upon seeing Natsu's disdainful look she added, "What? I thought we were a team."

Natsu was about to answer when Happy exclaimed from the background, "It's a two-cell mission with an infiltration team and an attack team!"

The Fire Mage looked around in shock, trying to figure out why Happy would even risk lying to Erza. Lisanna, however, understood at once.

"Th- that's right!" she stammered, "It's in a nearby fort inhabited by thieves, the walls are very strong so I was going to fly Natsu over the wall so he could bust down the gate. Then you would all sweep in and help clean up!"

Erza's eyes gleamed, "Wonderful! I've seen that job on the request board, but I never thought to take it!" she clapped Lisanna firmly on the shoulder, sending the smaller girl hurdling into the ground, "Wonderful strategy!"

Natsu finally understood, but Erza intimidated him so much that he could only squeak out a Happy-like "Aye!"

Gray seemed slightly suspicious though, "Why would you take such a difficult job right off the bat? Isn't that a bit risky? Plus if we needed air transport, couldn't Happy just—"

He was cut short by Lucy, Wendy, and Carla knocking him down and covering his mouth, causing an indignant squeal from the nearby tree. Erza seemed not to notice, she grabbed her oversized luggage trolley and exclaimed, "If your plan is to work, we should separate now. The attack team will be waiting in the woods near the fort, have the doors open by precisely 7 AM tomorrow morning! Come Happy!" she charged off in the opposite direction, Gray (and his 'mysterious' stalker), Wendy, Lucy, Carla, and Happy close behind her. As he left, Happy turned and winked to Natsu.

"Well thanks to that little bastard, we can now enjoy a romantic _séjour_ in Onibas!" exclaimed the Dragon Mage. He extended his arm to Lisanna, who gladly wrapped her own arm around it, and together, they walked serenely to the Magnolia Train Station."

•••

On top of the hill near Natsu's hut, Erza smiled as the happy couple plodded their way further down the dirt path. She cursed her idiocy, anyone should have seen that they wanted time alone, but she had selfishly interfered with their plans.

"Oh…" said Gray slowly, "So that's why…"

"Yes, you thick headed ice-turd." Lucy said, smacking his head.

"They're so cute together!" exclaimed Wendy, "I'm happy for them!"

Happy looked at Carla with red cheeks, "Makes you think… don't it?"

"Not really…" said the white cat casually, she turned away from the tearful male and asked the others "So what now?"

Erza turned, "Same plan, we're taking down those bandits."

"But they have a DOOR!" Happy squealed dramatically.

The group erupted into laughter before going to ruin some poor bandit's day.


	5. Chapter V: Dreams

**Author's note**

**Hey everyone, sorry but I have to give you a sad flashback. You didn't think I'd let you smile for too long, did you? Just two things first!**

**Sorry about the long description of the house later on, but I decided to model it after the house in which I grew up in Southern France and, well, I got a little nostalgic.**

**Also to the people who may think Natsu overreacts to Lisanna's death, let me share with you my favorite poem. Funeral Blues (Stop all the Clocks) by W.H. Auden, which he wrote about his lover's death;**

_**Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,**_

_**Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,**_

_**Silence the pianos and with muffled drum**_

_**Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.**_

_**Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead**_

_**Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,**_

_**Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,**_

_**Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. **_

_**He was my North, my South, my East and West,**_

_**My working week and my Sunday rest,**_

_**My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;**_

_**I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.**_

_**The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;**_

_**Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;**_

_**Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.**_

_**For nothing now can ever come to any good.**_

**Sorry but just wanted to show how deeply it hurts to lose someone for all those lucky enough not to have :)**

**Anyways, enjoy the new chapter, and please remember to give me your valued reviews!**

_Two years ago_

_Year 782, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia_

"She stopped breathing, and then..."

The rain poured from the sky in furious torrents, smashing into floor like little meteors that shattered upon impact. Natsu Dragneel stood in the doorway, his ears ringing and the flowers in his hands slipping from his weak grip.

_No. It can't be..._

Mirajane and Elfman Strauss were both huddled on the ground; their guild mates surrounded them. The hall seemed strange; gone was the raucous laughter and drunken clamor that Fairy Tail so proudly sported. All the smiling faces had been stolen by some shadowy, ethereal figure, and replaced with grief and sorrow. Mirajane looked to the door, her face flushed and gaunt; her lively eyes now seemed empty and dead. In those eyes, Natsu saw the truth; he knew that it wasn't some wraith-conjured dream from hell.

Lisanna Strauss, 14 years old, had died.

Natsu turned around, his mind was still numb from the shock, Happy was curled up on the floor; screaming in agony. The dragon slayer plodded down streets as empty as his soul, blind, deaf, and dumb. He eventually stopped and dropped to his knees in the rain. Looking up, he saw a mass of hay and sticks at the dead end of a dirt path. The greatest moments of his life were all woven into that hut, moments spent with someone who had been much more than a friend, or even a lover.

With Lisanna, a part of Natsu had died, a buffer for his hate and frustration. She was the only one he trusted unconditionally, including Happy. When he was sad, Lisanna smiled for him. When he was angry, Lisanna covered his fist. And in that last rain four years, She had come to him in his great loneliness under Her red umbrella. The rain stopped and the clouds started to split allowing the sun to shine through onto the muddy ground.

"How dare you..." Said Natsu, shaking in grief, "How dare you shine?"

He screamed at the sun, not understanding how it could be. If She was gone, how did the sun still shine? How did rain fall? How did anything continue to exist? His blood boiled, and he wanted to forget. He wanted to forget Her blue eyes and Her wide smile. He looked at the 'home' She had built for them, and decided to start with that. His fist blasted into flames and his eyes went white.

"_**KARYÛ NO TE**_..." He was cut short by a frail hand on his shoulder.

Natsu turned around to see little old Master Makarov looking at him in sympathy.

"Let us sit, child." He walked to a nearby fallen log and sat on it, staring down. Natsu walked to the log and set himself down. The two mages, young and old, looked out at the swaying fields. They were both silent for a long time, Natsu wondered why the master had come.

"It's hard isn't it?" Asked the old man, "As it should be."

Natsu looked down, sobbing weakly and Makarov patted his back. "I can't believe I was going to..." Said Natsu feebly.

"I know..." Started the master.

Natsu stood up, glowering at the little man "How could you? How could you know anything about how I feel?" he yelled, tears flying "You don't KNOW everything you old bastard!"

Makarov stared blankly at the horizon, "You're right, I don't... But trust me Natsu, I know grief."

He looked up at his pupil with watery eyes, and said with a weak, quivering voice, "I have had to exile my son, lie to my grandson, and suffer the deaths of many of my Guild-children. I have lost many old friends, including my... my wife... my one true love..."

Natsu's eyes widened, he was appalled at what he had just said. And he had never seen Makarov like this; the image left a bad taste in his mouth even years later.

"I know how you feel Natsu, because I have felt it. It is a feeling I would not wish upon any enemy, but I also know that it is natural.

"Doubting the world and all its aspects, wishing an end to memories; without this sorrow, we lose our humanity.

"And you have gone through great pain my child... You have now lost the two people you held most dear, one to mystery, and one to fate.

"The pain you feel is great, because it matches your love for her. So cherish that love, let it ward off the pain and do not sink into despair.

"You will need time, but IN time you will heal. The gap will still be there, yes, but if you fill it with the best memories of Her, it may help."

Natsu looked down, hot tears dripping into the mud and mingling with the rainwater.

"Before she left on this mission... We..." His throat caught and he fell to his knees, sobbing into his hands.

"I know, but do not linger on what may have happened, child, for it will destroy you."

Makarov stood, patted Natsu on the shoulder, and started to leave.

"Master?"

Makarov turned curiously to look at Natsu, "Yes?"

"Long ago, I swore I'd go find her if she disappeared again..."

"I won't dictate your actions child, but whether you find her or not, it will bring you only grief. Mira and Elfman already tried."

The old man walked away, leaving Natsu alone with his thoughts. The young Mage still felt a horrible weight, but unlike before he wanted the memories, he didn't want to lose the small part of Lisanna that remained to him.

He sat hugging his knees and remembering all the moments he'd spent with her; raising Happy's egg, fighting the greedy Gorian once and being saved by Gildarts the second time in that thick fog, playing in the fields... Their first-and last-kiss before she left...

•••

Eventually Natsu had fallen asleep; in his dreams he saw an old house perched on a mountainside. The sheer rock face of the mountain loomed arrogantly over the hills and forests that stretched to a smooth white shore, giving way to a great azure mirror. The old house was made of mortared stone and covered with wild vines. It was topped with red clay tiles, the blue-shuttered windows looked to the sea like an old man who had returned to the same place he had for years on end. Twisted trees shaded a path down into a terraced garden and cicadas sang to the sweltering sun. The whole place had a great feeling of peace, from the noisy insects to the wind's loving whisper. Down in that garden, Natsu saw two figures lying in the bristly grass under the shade of a gnarled olive tree. Around them, the delicate flowers of wild strawberry plants huddled around their plump red fruits. Natsu started towards them in a mindless state, not fully sure why. It wasn't till he was feet away from them that he noticed the most obvious thing about them, their hair.

White and Pink...

He felt his eyes water as he watched the scene before him. They seemed older, late twenties maybe. Both lay on their left sides, the man behind his mate, holding her close against him and nesting his nose in the crook between her neck and shoulder. The woman was smiling serenely, her hair had little bits of grass and dirt in it and her white clothes were stained, but she couldn't have cared less. Her left hand was cushioning her hair and her right was layer comfortably against her swollen belly...

The dreaming Natsu felt strange, not because of the dream itself, but because it felt... possible. He felt like he could have stood there indefinitely, drinking in the sight of this ideal picture, and he did. Until he heard Makarov's voice again;

_"Do not linger on what may have happened, child, for it will destroy you."_

He shut his eyes

•••

And when he opened them again he was awake, curled up in the mud next to the old thatched hut. Happy was sitting nearby, looking at the sun go down in the west, his back facing Natsu.

The dragon slayer walked over and sat down next to the cat. Happy quietly leaned his head again Natsu's side and the human felt tears fall onto his lap. He moved his hand onto his best friend's shoulder and held him close, both of them looking at the sunset She had loved so much.

•••

The train lurched forward and a voice over the P.A. announced in a monotone voice,

"Thank you for your patience, the debris has been cleared and train now continue to Onibas station."

Several passengers clapped and whooped, appraising the lengthy disposal of a fallen tree.

"Hey there sleepy!"

Natsu looked up to see the face of the Venus whose laps he had just been using as a pillow. He smiled and a single tear rolled out of his eye.

Lisanna looked confused, "What's wrong baby? Bad dream?"

He lifted his head to press his forehead against Hers, "No. Wonderful dream..."

She smiled, said, "You'll have to tell me." and kissed him. And as She did, Dragon Mage cherished the taste of Her lips, the smell of Her hair, the feel of Her skin, the sight of Her eyes, and the sound of Her voice.

_It wasn't just a dream..._ he thought, _It was the future._


	6. Chapter VI: Exploring Onibas!

**I am SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO sorry not to have posted in so long, but I've been so busy with my final exams and my ACT. Plus I have an old friend visiting from far away, so… yeah. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next (more lighthearted) chapter! And please remember to review! I've added a short survey at the end just to get some outside opinion.**

**Lots of Love!**

**Trisk**

Natsu melted into the passionate kiss, and ran his fingers in Lisanna's hair. Her presence was soothing and it made him feel invincible... Right up until the train took a sharp turn. He then proceeded to tear his head out of Lisanna's arms and puke out the open window before promptly fainting, moaning softly about trains being the devil's spawn.

"Hey!" Said Lisanna in mock anger, "I'm not that ugly!"

Natsu froze, "Lis-Lisa... I... I didn't mean it like that, not at all... You-You're beautiful!"

Lisanna laughed as he struggled to fix his imagined blunder, "Oh calm down, I'm only joking!"

Natsu's look of relief was soon gone, replaced by the blank eyes and pale face associated with his motion sickness, "You're evil..." He mumbled.

Lisanna pulled him down onto his side, resting his head in her laps. "Go to sleep my little dragon, I'll wake you when we get to Onibas."

The proud youth scowled a bit, "I'm not little…" He mumbled as he drifted to sleep, snoring loud enough to wake a large bear… or even a dragon. Lisanna giggled at the thought of a grumpy Igneel scolding Natsu for waking him with his chainsaw like snores. She smiled as she played with her eccentric lover's soft pink hair, it had always reminded her of bubble gum. The memory made her happy, reminding her of a simpler time when she would spend the days running through the fields with Natsu and Happy. She remembered the nights very fondly too, Natsu would light up the hut with his fire and tell ghost stories while Lisanna and Happy hugged each other tight in fear. She looked out the window at the rolling hills and smooth fields, savoring their simplicity. Sure, the floating mountains and flying rivers of Edolas were beautiful in their own respect, but they were also intimidating. In the two years Lisanna had spent at Edolas' Fairy Tail, she had never gotten used to lying in the sunlight and seeing the sun be blocked out by a hovering island. No, Earthland's smooth land and tranquil streams were a better fit for Lisanna. Tearing her eyes away from the window, she looked back to her snoring companion. Unbidden, she felt a strange heat in her core, suddenly very aware of the last time Natsu's head had been… there. The Ivory haired teen blushed at the thought.

/I shouldn't be thinking about those kinds of things now…/ she told herself, but a snide voice whispered back, /You're right, there'll be time enough for that tonight./

She shook her head, as if trying to clear away the illicit thoughts and images that had started filling it. But it was no use, she kept having visions of a steamy bedroom scene until she eventually faded into slumber.

•••

"Hello? Wake up you two! The train is about to leave!"

Lisanna's eyes flew open and she saw an elderly conductor sticking his head through the door. She looked out the window and saw a large sign reading "ONIBAS"

/Shit!/ she thought "Wake up Natsu! We have to go!"

He did not respond, so she and the conductor had to drag the luggage-plus a disabled Dragon Slayer-out onto the platform.

"Goodbye sir! Thank you!" she waved at the friendly conductor till the train pulled out of the station.

Natsu groaned from the floor and started to stand up very shakily. Lisanna turned to him and helped him up, letting him lean against her shoulder.

"Jeez, I guess that at least one thing didn't change in the past two years." She laughed as she got him to his feet.

Natsu looked around and realized he was no longer on a train. "YEEES!" He screamed ecstatically, running in circles. "I'm free!"

Lisanna giggled while nearby people stared at the dynamic Mage. Eventually, he calmed down and they left the station, Natsu animatedly recounting the hurricane Erigor had summoned around the station during the Lullaby Crisis.

"... in the end, we managed to escape it when Lucy summoned Virgo." He said, finishing his story, "So where are we supposed to meet this employer anyway?"

Lisanna pulled out the job request sheet from her pocket, "It says here to meet him at the Merchant's Guild; _The Golden Horseshoe_ in the market place at any time from nine in the morning to six in the afternoon."

Natsu turned around to look at the clock tower atop the station, 2:21 PM.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed "That gives us some time for lunch and some sightseeing!"

Smiling widely, Lisanna agreed wholeheartedly and the pair ran off to find a restaurant.

After a quick look down the side streets, they finally settled for a small eatery that specialized in succulent Okonomiyaki dishes. The pair reminisced about time long past and swapped stories about their time apart. Lisanna sat on the edge of her seat, mouth agape and eyes wide as Natsu told her about his adventures the past year. When he told her about Jellal being dragged away by the council, she started to sob into her hands. Finally, after both their dishes were cleared, he had finished telling her about crazy Daphne.

"After that, we went to Edolas, and... Well... you know the rest." He grinned as they left the restaurant, his arm draped around her shoulder. "So what do you want to do next?"

Lisanna looked up at the public clock in the street, it was 3:53 PM. "Well we can either go to the merchant's house now, or we can explore Onibas a little more."

"Which would you prefer?"

"Well... I never really spent time in Onibas before... So I'd love to see it!"

Natsu grinned, "Alright, let's go!"

He pulled her up onto his back and ran down the street, both of them laughing. They spent a long time walking around the bustling city. Since Lisanna had only the clothes on her back (so to speak) left, Natsu funded the purchase of a new wardrobe. While she was trying on different outfits, Natsu discreetly slipped to the jewelry counter.

"Hey man, I'd like to buy that ring. "

He pointed out a fine ring made of sterling silver and inlaid with a single bright sapphire about half the size of a pea. The silver around the gemstone was shaped like a serpentine dragon and the band itself was etched lightly with delicate patterns. The clerk nodded and took out the ring, placing it in a velvet box and giving it to Natsu in exchange for a large amount of Jewels. He quickly returned to his previous seat so Lisanna wouldn't suspect his disappearance and continued his commentary on her numerous outfits. They eventually got out of the store and noticed the time on the station's clock tower; their hearts plummeted.

5:54 PM

"Fuck..."

They shot through the streets of Onibas, Lisanna directing them with a map of the city. At two to six, they charged through the doors of _The Golden Horseshoe_. The shocked receptionist directed them to the office of Mr. Chikoro; an short, frail, elderly merchant with a habit of patting his back pocket as if to assure his wallet had not suddenly dematerialized in the past twenty seconds.

"First of all sir, allow me to apologize most fervently for our lateness," said Lisanna hastily, shame weighing on her like a pile of bricks, "It's my fault, I haven't visited Onibas in a long time and I wanted to look around."

The old man smiled and waved off her apology, "It's nothing dear child! I'm glad you and your partner enjoyed our beautiful city."

Natsu wasn't certain, but was quite sure that Mr. Chikoro winked at him while saying that.

"Anyway sir, thank you so much for contacting Fairy Tail, we just need to confirm the fee with you and ask about the location of your missing cargo." Continued the shape shifter.

They stayed there for a few minutes as the old man recounted how and where he lost his merchandise and confirmed the 30,000 Jewel fee for a full recovery of all his goods.

As the Mages stood to leave, Chikoro shook their hands and said in concern, "Please, I need that merchandise, but I could never forgive myself if either of you were hurt so please be careful."

Lisanna grinned, "Don't worry sir, Natsu here is more than adequate for this mission; I saw him defeat a fully grown Gorian with his bare hands at the age of ten."

The old man laughed heartily, "Well! It seems you are in fact OVER qualified for this mission!"

They bid the benevolent merchant farewell and headed to their Inn for the night. After a hasty dinner in the common room, they headed upstairs and opened the door. For the past two years Mirajane had been the Guild's secretary, meaning that she replied to job requests, booked train tickets and inns for the members going on jobs. This room was just another way of showing her support for her little sister's relationship.

The Sakura Suite was usually used by couples on their honeymoon or anniversary trips, it sported a small garden outside the paper screen doors, complete with a sizeable natural onsen and a Sakura tree enchanted to blossom year round. Inside the room was a large round two-person bed covered in rose petals. Everything was designed for couples; the bathroom even included a large two-person tub.

"Well," said Lisanna, "I guess Mira accepts is ok with all that stuff last night."

She started pulling off her top and let her skirt fall around her ankles, revealing her pale, shapely body clad only in her undergarments, which she removed in turn. Natsu was dumbfounded, staring at Lisanna's soft pink nipples and smoothly shaven womanhood. Lisanna enjoyed the look of possession in her boyfriend's eyes; she turned around and started walking towards the outdoor onsen, swaying her hips to entice him further.

"Coming, Dragon Boy?" She asked seductively, her usual cheerful voice replaced by a teasing, husky tone.

'Dragon Boy' almost tripped over his own feet as he followed his gorgeous partner into the natural hot tub, stripping as he went, finally removing Igneel's scarf and draping it over the back of a chair. The two lowered themselves into the scalding hot water; Lisanna then leaned her head against Natsu's chest and closed her eyes, his strong arms wrapped around her. The Dragon Slayer smiled serenely and closed his eyes too, enjoying the feeling of Lisanna against him.

**Asshole ending! But I want to conduct a quick survey, please respond in the reviews.**

**Do you want more lemons in this story?**

**Should Natsu full on propose to Lisanna or just give her the ring as a gift? (Keep in mind, they're both 17)**

**And finally; Should Lisanna gain more power than she has, or stay as she is?**


	7. Chapter VII: A Night under the Sakura

**Hey guys! So this chapter is full lemon, since I got unanimous votes for more on the survey... pervs ;)**

**Anyway, thank you so much for your invaluable feedback and I'm very sorry if I don't follow your specific wish, it has been very hard to choose, especially on the second question.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 7! Please review and let me know what you think! It's very important to me!**

The air was thick with steam from the hot springs as Natsu held his lover tight, Sakura blossoms drifted down softly and settled on the clear surface of the water. Lisanna was smiling serenely, enjoying the feel of Natsu's rough, strong chest against her head. His hands started feeling adventurous, roaming all over her petite body, tantalizingly avoiding her breasts and womanhood. She moaned in desire as she felt his hand barely brush against the side of her left breast.

"Natsu… don't be so mean…" She whispered to him, her voice heavy with lust, "I want you to touch me."

Hearing the obvious arousal in her voice revved Natsu up; he tilted her head to the side so that he could kiss her mouth with all his passion. His hands finally moved to her voluptuous breasts, causing her to sigh and deepen her breathing. Lisanna smiled slightly when she felt Natsu's erection pressed against the back of her thigh. She reached down to play with his length, causing the boy to shudder and play with his mate's breasts with even greater vigor. His right hand soon grew more interested in her nether areas, sliding down her body to her womanhood and playing with the sensitive nub at the top of her flower. Lisanna shuddered and moaned softly into their kiss, trying to concentrate on pleasuring her partner but finding it difficult while enjoying the intense waves of pleasure coursing through her nerves. Eventually she gave up—pledging to pay him back for the pleasure she was feeling now—and broke the kiss, sighing and breathing heavily at the onslaught of his skilled fingers. When they slipped into her, she started to truly moan, biting her lower lip as she did. Natsu started to wiggle his fingers around inside her, ignorantly rubbing against a small spot that made Lisanna squeak with pleasure every time he touched it.

_Dear God I love that sound,_ thought the pyromancer, _but why is she so sensitive all of a sudden?_

He resolved to ask Gildarts about this upon their return; after all, the old pervert's advice had proven useful so far. He kept playing with his lover's hot core till she climaxed, moaning louder and forcing out unintelligible sentences culminating with one word filled with intense passion.

"Natsu!"

When the pleasurable convulsions ceased the pair got out of the onsen, lips locked together in a heated kiss. Using Natsu's benevolent fire to hastily dry themselves, the couple stumbled into the bedroom. Lisanna pushed her boy down onto the bed with furious lust.

"Well, my dragon, time for us to get even," she purred, kneeling down in front of him, "Now it's your turn to beg."

Natsu wasn't sure whether to feel elated or wary, he knew full well what Lisanna intended to do, and he also knew that many girls couldn't stand it.

"Lisa… you don't have to, I want you to enjoy this… you don't owe me anything or…"

His speech turned into a moan as the ivory haired goddess before him licked his sensitive tip.

"Owe you?" she laughed, blowing him a kiss, "This isn't about debt Dragneel, this is punishment for teasing me last night."

Upon hearing those words, Natsu knew he was in for a torturous time. Lisanna licked his length tantalizingly, cupping and softly massaging his testicles with her hand while doing so. She licked several times, ending each time by tickling the tip of his manhood with the tip of her tongue.

"Please, Lisa..." the words broke through Natsu's lips, unbidden but ernest.

Lisanna grinned when she heard the cocky Dragon Slayer brought low by her newfound skills. She had sat through many awkward conversations between Lucy and Mirajane in Edolas about this very act, and now it finally payed off.

"Well isn't that the magic word?" giggled the shapeshifter, "Since you're asking so nicely, you'll enjoy this, my Dragon."

She took him in her mouth and stated to suck on his head softly, making Natsu groan in pleasure. She then took as much of his manhood in as she could without choking and started to bob her head up and down. After a few minutes Natsu felt himself getting close to climax, so he placed a hand on Lisanna's cheek, getting her to stop and look up at him curiously.

"Come here you." He said softly

She crawled up till they were eye to eye and kissed him softly. The Dragon Slayer replied by flipping them over so he was on top and kissing her back with all the lust and passion inside him.

"Mine..." he growled between kisses as he lined himself up to enter her, "You're mine and I'm yours."

Lisanna wrapped her legs around his waist and returned the vigor of his embrace in kind, "Forever"

Taking her answer as a queue, Natsu thrusted into her with a groan and Lisanna pulled him closer with her legs. Their sweating bodies fit together like a puzzle piece and they both moaned each other's names. Natsu felt himself come close to the edge, but he was determined to go until Lisanna felt her own release, so he pulled out and stopped for a few moments, slipping a finger into his lover so that she would not 'cool down' too much while he recovered. He then plunged back into her with renewed voracity, driving her already ecstatic feelings over the edge. Lisanna screamed out Natsu's name as she orgasmed, staining the bed with her juices. The combined smell and sound of Lisanna's climax was too much for Natsu as he too reached his peak, pulling out and releasing onto his lover's pale chest and belly. They both collapsed, giggling madly from their night's exercise.

"That was..." Lisanna struggled to find the right words to describe her feeling of blissful lightheadedness.

"I know," mused Natsu, "forget weightlifting and running; this is my new favorite workout."

Lisanna laughed and rolled off the bed, "I think I'm going to wash up before sleeping," She gestured at Natsu's residue on her belly, "You coming?"

Natsu nodded and followed her into the shower, watching his girlfriend's shapely butt as he did. In the shower, they very meticulously washed each other, resulting in Natsu giving Lisanna the cleanest breasts she'd ever had. After washing up, Lisanna decided to stay in the bathroom to brush her hair. Natsu proceeded out of the bathroom to rummage through his bag. When he found the object of his scrutiny, he slid under the thick duvet on the bed to wait for Lisanna. She exited the bathroom less than a minute later, still clad in her birthday suit. Natsu grinned as Lisanna crawled onto the bed, curling up next to Natsu to engage in another heated make out session. When they broke the kiss, Natsu touched her cheek and Lisanna felt something small in his palm. Curious, she looked at his hand and saw a beautiful silver ring embedded with a small sapphire.

"Natsu... What?" Her breath caught in her throat.

"I saw it in town and I thought of you," said the Dragon Slayer with a smile, "do you like it?"

She threw her arms around him, "It's beautiful Natsu, I love it." She pulled away a bit and looked at the ring still in his hand, "But why?"

Natsu put on an air of mock anger, "Do I need a reason to give my girlfriend a gift?" He smiled as she slipped the ring onto her finger, "It's a welcome home gift... and an apology."

She looked up at him, confused, "An apology? What for?"

"You loved me for so long, but by the time I realized... It was too late, I could never forgive myself for that."

Lisanna looked at Natsu silently, her eyes welling up with tears. She then pulled him in for a kiss and held him tight, "It wasn't your fault, I never told you, I never faced up to it."

"I love you, Lisanna Strauss." Said Natsu, "I love you, and I will NEVER let anything happen to you, that's a promise."

They both smiled at each other and kissed till they fell asleep in each other's arms.

•••

In the middle of the night, Natsu's eyes fluttered open. His throat was parched and uncomfortable. He slipped out of the bed as quietly as he could so as not to wake Lisanna and tip-toed to the sink. He filled up a glass of water and walked back to the bedside. He stopped for a few moments to admire her, her ivory hair was splayed out messily on her pillow and her mouth was slightly open. He looked at her new ring, the silver matched her hair beautifully and the sapphire was the exact same color as her eyes. It took him a few moments to realize what finger she wore it on, but when he did his smile widened. He lay down next to her, dreaming again of the house on the mountainside, now knowing for sure that she had the same dream.

**I hope you guys are okay with my compromise about the proposal! :)**

**As usual, let me know! And keep those reviews coming!**


	8. Chapter VIII: After Death

_**2 years ago**_

_**Year X782, Edolas Forest**_

Lisanna groaned weakly, trying to get up. The pain in her chest was enormous, making her think she must have broken-or at least cracked-one or more ribs. She also couldn't move her left shoulder, which had been dislocated instantly when she had been struck. To top things off, her head hurt worst than it ever had before and the world was spinning. She finally managed to get up and looked around.

_This... What is this?_

The forest around her was unlike any she had ever seen; titanic mushrooms replaced trees and the grass was a pale shade of turquoise. A shadow passed across the ground; Lisanna looked up, expecting to see a cloud, and sank back to her knees in utter shock.

A mountain drifted lazily in front of the sun, suspended thousands of feet up in the air.

_This place isn't normal... I must have fallen asleep..._

She shook her head, pinched her arm, and even pushed on her broken ribs a bit, eliciting only a sharp wince of pain and sharp intake of breath. She seemed to be fully awake, but the world was completely irregular. She tried to remember as much as she could; she had been on an S-class mission with her siblings, they were to suppress 'The Beast'. But something went wrong...

_I remember... A massive shape smashing through the fog... An enormous hand sweeping out of nowhere... Pain... And tears... Tears rolling down Mirajane's face and onto my own..._

_Am I dead?_ Lisanna asked herself, _No, I wouldn't feel any pain if was. More importantly, is Elfman okay? Or did Mirajane have to..._

She grasped her head in her hands, sobbing in helplessness until she heard herself whisper.

"I need to go home."

That was it, her grasp on reality, she needed to escape whatever this strange world was and return to Elfman and Mira, to Erza, Gray, Cana, Master Makarov, Happy, and... Natsu, she had promised him she would come home, she had to. Lisanna looked up at the bizarre canopy, initially surprised at the yellow sky beyond.

_If I can muster enough magic power to do a bird takeover, I can at least get a lay of the land._

She took a breath and reached for her remaining magic. She released it and shouted out, **"TAKE OVER! ANIMAL SOUL!"**

She expected her arms to morph into the colorful bird wings she had grown used to since she started using takeover magic eight years ago. But her arms just kept aching; this, added with the stress of trying to use magic, led her to collapse weakly at the base of a giant mushroom. Her eyes drooped shut slowly and her body grew limp. She fought with all her being to stay awake as sleep finally took a hold of her.

•••

She awoke the next day in a small cot, the pain in her ribs felt number and her shoulder had been popped back into its socket, softening the pain and allowing her to move it. Looking around, she saw that she was in a circular dome-like room filled with all kinds of random objects.

She started to push herself up from the cot when she heard a deep voice in the corner of the room, "You shouldn't move too much yet, your ribs aren't fully mended."

Looking for the source of the voice, she saw a tall man in a dark cape sitting on a rickety chair, he had a hood over his hair and a cowl covering his face. He had five intimidating staves on him; one rested on his laps, the other four were slung across his back. Lisanna knew she had never seen him before, but something about him felt familiar. He started to rise to his feet and walked to her side.

"Who... Who are you?" Asked Lisanna shakily.

The tall man was silent, he held a hand over her and muttered a few words, a weak glow enveloped her. "You will be better soon, until then, sleep..."

Upon hearing those words Lisanna's eyes widened and she grabbed his wrist, keeping him from completing his trademark spell.

"I know you..." She had a hunch of who this man was, "This spell, those staves... You're Mystogan, aren't you?"

The man pulled back his hand and said nothing, he nodded once. Lisanna stared at him in shock, she had only ever heard stories and rumors about the shadowy staff-wielding Mage who's powers apparently rivaled even Laxus.

"Why are you here? Where IS here?" She started asking, all her confusion bubbling up and breaking out uncontrollably, "Are Elfman and Mirajane okay?"

Mystogan raised his hand, silencing his confused guildmate, "This is Edolas, a parallel world with alternate versions of everyone and everything in your own world, Earthland."

"MY world? Why are you talking like this Mystogan?"

The shadowy figure removed his cowl and hood, revealing a mess of blue hair and an intricate tattoo around his right eye. Lisanna's jaw dropped, she recognized this man, how couldn't she? Siegrain Fernandez, the newest of the Ten Saint Wizards, had been featured on the cover of every 'Weekly Sorcerer' for the past month.

"Siegrain?" She asked slowly, "Why are you in Fairy Tail?"

Mystogan shook his head, "No, I am Edolas' version of Siegrain's twin brother; Jellal. I have been traveling around Earthland for the past seven years, closing the Anima that have been stealing magic power for the Kingdom here."

He went on to explain the politics of Edolas, and their struggle for inexhaustible magic power. By the end of it, Lisanna's head was hurting again.

"But why am I here?" She asked as Mystogan finally stopped, "And how am I supposed to get home?"

"When Mirajane and Elfman came back and told us what had happened, I had a horrible suspicion that it was an Anima. I ran to the location of your 'death' you were so close to death, it made you weak enough for an Anima to absorb what was left of your magic, taking your body along with it." He looked at the floor, hating the words that came from his mouth, "As for getting you home... I haven't thought of any way to get you out of Edolas, I got back here by slipping through the remaining traces of the Anima that took you. The lack of Magic in this world as opposed to Earthland's acts in equilibrium, my body contains no magic so I can slip through easily, as can anyone from Edolas. You, however, contain an endless supply of Magical power, the only way to get you home would be to empty you of all Magic, which is a death sentence to mages."

The silence hung heavy in the air, dread building within Lisanna. Mystogan hadn't said specifically said it, but she knew what this meant. She would never return to Earthland, she would have to live out her days in this strange land.

"No!" she screamed as she leaped out of her bed, oblivious to the pain in her ribs and the tears soaking her cheeks, "There must be a way! Some trick, some way to get through. I need to get home!"

_When I come home_

"I swore!"

_Be careful_

"I swore I'd come home!"

_We'll talk about us_

She punched her guildmate in fury and desperation, tears dripping onto the floor. "Natsu's waiting for me! He thinks I'm coming home!"

Mystogan hugged her, holding her tight against his chest, ignoring the sting in his cheek. Lisanna did her best to scream and punch him. She hated him, this was all his fault somehow. Faces flashed in front of her...

Macao and Wakaba drinking and reminiscing in the corner. Cana reading the Tarot, trying to predict some secret event. Gray freezing the Master's beer and running away as he giggled. Erza eating through an entire Strawberry Cheesecake while lecturing others on temperance. Makarov sitting cross legged with a beer and a wide wise smile. Gildarts pretending to be overwhelmed by an army of young children. Happy munching through a pile of fish and shouting "Aye Sir!". Elfman bragging about his manliness while fixing a picnic to go bird watching. Mirajane looking for a fight against any and every foe.

And Natsu... Natsu whining, bragging, laughing, fighting, crying... Natsu holding her against him, kissing her so passionately that she felt him wash away the heartache of the last five years.

With that image in her head, Lisanna lost all strength and slumped in Mystogan's arms, sobbing weakly. Mystogan laid her onto the cot and waved his hand over her, sending her into a deep dreamless sleep.

•••

Lisanna awoke an hour later, her eyes still red and puffy. She sat up, looking around the warehouse. Mystogan was gone, in his place was a note and a vial containing a single red ball in it. She walked over to it and picked up the note.

_Lisanna_

_I apologize for my hasty departure, but I'm afraid that I must return to Earthland as soon as possible before my chance to get back unnoticed slips away. I am truly sorry for your predicament, but I know of no way to reverse this. I swear that I will search for a way, and if I find one I will hasten back to let you know. Until then, I have left you an X-Ball, this is a medicine I developed to allow me to use Earthland magic, but it may also serve to unlock your own power while you are here. You must not let anyone discover your powers; if they do, you may even be carted off to the Royal City for interrogation. As for what to do next, that is entirely your choice, however, if you follow the left path for a few hundred paces and then follow the trail of white marks on the trees, you will reach Edolas' Fairy Tail. Their Lisanna died a month ago from a fall, you will find welcome there. Remember that everyone in Edolas is slightly different from the versions you know, please do not let that shock you._

_Take care, and please forgive my inability to help._

Lisanna stared at the page, then at the vial. She swallowed the little red pill and felt a warmth within her. To be sure that the pill worked, she turned her right arm into a large green and pink wing. She smiled slightly, loving the sight of her wing, it was almost like seeing an old friend. Now came the choice, she could go off on her own into the woods and learn to integrate with the people of Edolas... Or she could go to Edolas' Fairy Tail, make them believe she was somebody that she was not. The idea of lying to those people stuck in her throat, but if it meant seeing her family, she would do it, she would do anything to see Mira and Elfman... And Natsu. Thinking of Natsu reminded her of a day after she had been kidnapped by a Gorian and saved by Gildarts...

_"What's the point?" she whined, tickling Happy_

_"Gildarts and I won't always be there to help you Lisanna!" shouted Natsu, Gildarts sat a few feet away, amused by the quarrel before him, "And no offense, but turning into a bird or a giant rabbit won't help in a tough fight."_

_She pouted and turned from Happy to face Natsu, "I didn't learn magic to fight, I learned it to help people."_

_"Which sometimes means you'll have to get your hands dirty."_

_Both the children turned to Gildarts, Natsu grinning victoriously._

_The older man sighed and looked seriously at his little friends, "Lisanna, I admire your desire to help, but I'm afraid Natsu is right. You may need this someday, you can't rely on others to help every time."_

_Lisanna nodded and turned to Natsu, blushing slightly. "So what were you going to show me?"_

_Natsu lifted his fist and summoned a handful of flames, "The first spell Igneel ever taught me; The Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon."_

Lisanna smiled, thinking of Natsu's irritation during the months he spent teaching her the 'simple' spell. She closed her eyes and reached for her power, thinking of Natsu's smile. Flames sparked up around her hand and incinerated Mystogan's message.


End file.
